'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' blasts off with $145M debut

NEW YORK -- "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" rocketed to an estimated $145 million debut in North America, kicking off Hollywood's summer movie season with something the movie business has craved: a sequel more successful than the original.

Director James Gunn's second "Guardians" film opened 54 percent higher than the 2014 runaway hit, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That release, which introduced the intergalactic band of misfits played by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, debuted with $94 million in its first weekend.

Once a little-known, oddball property in Marvel's vault, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" have grown into one of the comic-book factory's biggest brands.

The Walt Disney Co. validated the rise of "Guardians," too, by moving it from August (when the original opened) to the first weekend in May. Marvel has used the same weekend to launch the summer season for the last decade.

The opening for "Guardians Vol. 2" is the second-largest of the year, following Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" ($174.8 million).

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released today.

1. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," $145 million ($124 million international).

2. "The Fate of the Furious," $8.5 million.

3. "The Boss Baby," $6.2 million.

4. "How to Be a Latin Lover," $5.3 million.

5. "Beauty and the Beast," $4.9 million.

6. "The Circle," $4 million.

7. "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion," $3.2 million.

8. "Gifted," $2.1 million.

9 "Going in Style," $1.9 million.

10. "Smurfs: The Lost Village," $1.8 million.